Abodo® Vulcan Vertical Grain
Abodo Vulcan Vertical Grain is a premium exterior cladding option and sustainable alternative to old-growth Western Red Cedar.
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Our headquarters in the Scottish Highlands can experience harsh weather conditions. In our line of work, that’s a good thing. We test products and closely monitor the results, safe in the knowledge that if they stand up to the weather here, they’ll endure almost anywhere. Of course, this is true of other countries, too – one such place being New Zealand. Abodo is an Auckland-based supplier of timber products, and their Abodo® Vulcan Vertical Grain cladding is a recent addition to our selection of external wood cladding. We were sold on Abodo’s cladding before they built a showcase project in NZ’s South Island in 2020, but the resulting timber cabin – named Cardrona Cabin – has cemented our opinion.
A sleek and strong external finish
Cardrona Cabin was designed by Assembly Architects to showcase the durability and beauty of Abodo timber products against the backdrop of a harsh alpine environment. It’s in the Cardrona Valley, which links the towns of Wanaka and Queenstown and is a place that experiences hot and cold weather extremes in quick succession. The design includes continuous cladding in a narrow rainscreen arrangement. In an unusual and effective step, the cladding passes in front of the full-length windows to shade the cabin’s interior from harsh sunlight.
The contractor for Cardrona Cabin, Dunlop Builders, used secret fixings on the Vulcan Vertical Grain cladding boards, which were supplied with a 26mm x 61mm profile. These sharp, clean lines are possible thanks to the cladding’s stability: the product is thermally modified and crafted in a way that taps into the timber’s natural strength properties.
Designed to weather to the natural tones of the surrounding alpine environment, the cabin’s slatted Vulcan Vertical Grain timber is finished in SiOO:X coating. Pairing Abodo’s thermally modified engineered vertical grain technology with SiOO:X coating provides a durable, stable and lower maintenance timber that stands the test of time.
Daniel Gudsell, Abodo Founder and Managing Director
More sustainable than you might first imagine
Crafted from fast-growing radiata pine from New Zealand, Abodo cladding is an ethically and environmentally sound choice. Despite the distance this product has to travel to reach the UK, it remains carbon negative since sea freight produces so much less carbon than road travel.
Vulcan Vertical Grain’s eco credentials are further boosted by its provenance. Radiata pine grows in sustainable plantation forests in New Zealand, where rich soils and high annual rainfall guarantee its rapid growth and help it sequester more carbon than slow-growing tree species. It’s a brilliant alternative to old-growth Western red cedar and Siberian larch, for example. New Zealand forests also avoid the corruption that may occur in some other wood production areas of the world.
Abodo Vulcan Vertical Grain cladding is free from chemical preservatives and solvents, and a low-VOC Type 1 exterior polyurethane adhesive is used for the lamination process.
The perfect partner for SiOO:X Wood Protection
Abodo Vulcan Vertical Grain has a refined straight grain and is free from knots, making it ideal for the most ambitious of designs. In the case of Cardrona Cabin, the wood was coated with SiOO:X Wood Protection, helping eliminate the issue of differential weathering and giving the building its uniform appearance.
Any Abodo cladding bought from Russwood can also be coated with SiOO:X in our factory before it is delivered to site. SiOO:X comes in three shades – Original, Light Grey and Mid Grey – to suit different design preferences and environments.
Coming soon to a build near you
Abodo’s Vulcan Vertical Grain cladding is one of the latest additions to our product range. As such, we’re excitedly awaiting the completion of several under-construction UK projects that have used it. We’re not alone in our love for this innovative cladding: Vulcan Vertical Grain was shortlisted in the ‘Best Cladding System or Product’ category at the 2023 BuildIt Awards. Its durability and visually pleasing finish make it the ideal companion to the British landscape.
Specifier Tip: Abodo Vulcan Vertical Grain cladding can be produced in a wire brushed or skimmed finish.
Check out our Abodo Vulcan Vertical Grain cladding here.